This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
There are 16 teams in action this Tuesday, with the Pacers and Pistons the only two teams taking the court for the second half of their respective back-to-backs. With the number of games going on, there's loads of both talent and value within this slate. There are a number of big names expected to suit up, including Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, Lebron James and Russell Westbrook. While it may be difficult to pick and choose which stars to include, you can't go wrong by penciling any of these guys into your lineup.
The first matchups of the evening are slated for 7:00 Eastern time, so be sure to have your lineups entered prior to that time. I highly recommend taking advantage of your forced-drop this week, especially given the amount of star power and the high prices that come with those big-name players.
Point Guard
Terry Rozier, BOS at CLE ($7,000): With Kyrie Irving (hip) sidelined for Tuesday's contest, Rozier is the clear-cut option to draw the start at point guard. He's found success in that role in the past, racking up double-digit scoring outputs in each of his previous three games he's been deployed with the first unit. Cleveland is also allowing opposing point guards to score 48.2 FanDuel points per game, which ranks second-worst, and they're last in defensive rating at 116.8. Rozier is a solid mid-tier point guard who will yet again aim to take advantage of his opportunity against an opponent that provides little resistance, and his low price tag allows for the addition of a high-end point guard such as Russell Westbrook ($12,000) or Damian Lillard ($9,900) into your lineup.
Russell Westbrook, OKC vs. ORL ($12,000): Westbrook is one of the most expensive players of the evening, but his production is simply unmatched amongst competing point guards. He's racked up 51 or more FanDuel points in five of his previous six games (six straight triple-doubles) and appears to be finding his stride after struggling with his shot early on. Westbrook will draw a favorable matchup against a porous Orlando defense whom he's found success against in the past, exploding for 58.8 FanDuel points Jan. 29 when the Thunder faced off with the Magic in Orlando. You may have to go low at other positions when adding Westbrook to your lineup, but it's definitely possible to find solid, mid-to-low tier players elsewhere in Tuesday's slate that would accommodate Westbrook's hefty price tag.
Other value plays: Collin Sexton, CLE vs. BOS ($4,400); Tyler Johnson, MIA at POR ($4,400); T.J. McConnell, PHI vs. TOR ($4,300)
Shooting Guard
C.J. McCollum, POR at MIA ($7,500): McCollum has been scorching hot over his team's last two games, totaling 41-plus FanDuel points across that brief stretch, and I'm betting that he keeps it rolling at home against a Miami team that's lost three straight. It's also worth noting that the 27-year-old guard shoulders a sizeable chunk of his team's minutes at shooting guard on a nightly basis, as he's averaging 32.5 minutes in Portland's last 10 games. During that stretch, he's putting up 21.6 points 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists. Given the lack of firepower at this position Tuesday night (Jimmy Butler is the top option at $8,600), I'm rolling with McCollum.
Andrew Wiggins, MIN at MEM ($6,100): Wiggins is slated to face off against a depleted Grizzlies team, and I think the price is right at $6,100. Although Memphis ranks sixth in defensive rating, they allow a surprising amount of FanDuel points to opposing shooting guards (42.2) and their injury report is a mile long, meaning he'd likely be guarded by a role player for most of the night with Garrett Temple (shoulder) listed as doubtful for Tuesday's game. Wiggins has finished with 27 and 23.8 fantasy points in his previous two contests, which goes to show that he'll still provide serviceable totals when his game is off. I believe he'll be ready to have a big night given the circumstances.
Other value plays: Luke Kennard, DET at NY ($3,600); Damyean Dotson, NY vs. DET ($3,800)
Small Forward
Kawhi Leonard, TOR at PHI ($9,800): Leonard is always a solid option when taking his sky-high ceiling into account. He didn't play up to snuff in Toronto's last game Sunday against the Clippers (25 FanDuel points) but is averaging 46.5 points on the season and should find more success in Philadelphia. The 27-year-old is putting up 24.8 points 7.5 rebounds 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals over his last four matchups after getting four games off for load management purposes, so he should be well-rested heading into Tuesday's tilt. Paul George is also an option at small forward, but he's priced significantly higher ($11,500) than Leonard when the two generally produce at or around the same level. I believe it's wiser to ride with Leonard in this case.
Bruno Caboclo, MEM vs. MIN ($4,000): I know what you're thinking here: Caboclo is a reach. However, he just earned another 10-day deal and I'm expecting him to be fired up for Tuesday's home game against the Timberwolves, who rank last in FanDuel points allowed to opposing small forwards (51.4). Caboclo could see a solid chunk of playing time given the number of injuries Memphis is currently dealing with – he started Sunday's matchup with the Knicks because his team was so banged up. I do recognize that he was held scoreless in that start, but his low cost means he could serve as your forced drop of the night. Caboclo has proven that he's deserving of at least a glance when it comes to fantasy, putting up 26 FanDuel points twice in his first six games with Memphis.
Other value plays: Stanley Johnson, DET at NY ($3,600); Maurice Harkless, POR vs. MIA ($3,900)
Power Forward
Aaron Gordon, ORL at OKC ($6,600): I decided to go with mid-tier options at power forward since there weren't many premier choices to pick from in my opinion. Gordon is affordable at $6,600 for the night and even though he'll face off against an Oklahoma City defense that ranks fourth in defensive rating (105), I think he's worth the risk. He dropped 39.3 FanDuel points at the end of January against the Thunder and could be in for a repeat performance.
Marcus Morris, BOS at CLE ($5,500): I'm riding with the hot hand by choosing Morris here, and I consider him a value play for only $5,500 given he's posted 25-plus FanDuel points in six of his previous seven games. I'm also a big fan of the matchup, as he's slated to face off against a Cavs team that's ranked dead last in defensive rating (116.8). Slotting both Aaron Gordon and Morris into your lineup at power forward allows for big-name players elsewhere, such as Russell Westbrook ($12,000) and Kawhi Leonard ($9,800).
Other value plays: Luke Kornet, NY vs. DET ($5,000); Kelly Olynyk, MIA at POR ($4,500); Bam Adebayo, MIA at POR ($4,200)
Center
Andre Drummond, DET at NY ($9,300): With loads of talent at the center position, I went with Drummond, who's not at the very top of the price range but is still a top-tier option. Drummond is averaging 43.7 FanDuel points per game on the season and has racked up 50 or more points in three of his last four matchups. I think his matchup against the Knicks is slightly more favorable than Joel Embiid ($11,600) against the Raptors and Nikola Vucevic ($10,00) against the Thunder, and you can grab Drummond for a cheaper price. On top of that, the Knicks are allowing 41.6 FanDuel points per game to centers this season, which ranks near the bottom.
Other value plays: Nerlens Noel, OKC vs. ORL ($4,000); Boban Marjanovic, LAC at CHA ($4,100)
